2015 Cadillac Escalade: Finally Better Than Buying Used?

Rappers and NFL players can relax—the new Cadillac Escalade is everything it used to be, and more.

For at least a few months, there has been some speculation that the 2015 version of the ‘Sclade would ditch its body-on-frame construction for a more car-like unibody, like Ford did with the Explorer.

If Escalades are used mostly for show or to transport large well-off families, a truck base wouldn’t really make sense, and unibody construction would save money in production and give consumers cheaper gas bills while not sacrificing the bling quotient or interior space.

With the Escalade, though, GM scoffs at what makes sense.

From the outside, the 2015 Escalade looks pretty much the same as always. It’s big, angular, broad and bold with plenty of chrome that combines for a look that’s unmistakably Cadillac. General Motors calls it a “complete redesign,” but to my eye it looks like an evolution of the current design. Not even an evolution as much as a series of small changes to existing attributes. Vertical headlamps? Check. Crease going down the center of the grille? Check. Giant flat slab as a rear end? Check.

The new interior features cut-and-sewn and wrapped materials, with wood trim options chosen for elegance and authenticity. Seats were engineered to be more comfortable and sculpted in appearance. The new interior is dramatically quieter, too, thanks to a stronger new body structure, new and enhanced acoustic material, and Bose Active Noise Cancellation technology.

There is more room in the cabin than in the current version, and the standard second-row seats are now heated and recline.

The whole shebang is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine rated at 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, a nearly 5% increase in horsepower and 10% more torque than the current model. Fuel efficiency is said to have increased, but there’s no mention of what the numbers are, which to me says they’re not worth bragging about.

Also not yet mentioned is price. I’m guessing it’ll be pretty easy to top $60K for a new Escalade, which makes an ’07 or ’08 model for under $30K look pretty tantalizing.

Is there anything about the new Escalade that would tempt you to buy it instead of a used one?

Wow, way to judge people, Randy. Maybe a few simply like how they look and drive.True, it’s a Suburban underneath, but there are some people quite aware of that. Some families may just have a brand loyalty to Cadillac that have many children